This is Eastbourne

Eastbourne is officially the sunniest place in the UK. Maybe that’s why it’s so friendly, welcoming and relaxed. Eastbourne is also brilliantly accessible, with the beach, the town centre and the beautiful hills of the South Downs all within a 15-minute walk of our campus.

MAY

THE BRIGHTON MARATHON Brighton Marathon takes over the whole weekend, with a party atmosphere in the marathon village and an exhibition at the Brighton Centre.

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL AND FRINGE There are literally thousands of events to enjoy, and many of them are free. The layout of the city is altered for the whole of May, with pop-up bars and clubs creating new areas to explore. Start your adventure at Fringe City, the street festival that takes place every weekend during Brighton Fringe.

ARTISTS OPEN HOUSES Artists and makers open their homes and studios across Brighton & Hove giving visitors the chance to see original artwork and talk to the artists and makers who created it.

THE GREAT ESCAPE The Great Escape is Europe’s leading event for showcasing new music, with over 300 bands playing 30 venues across the city over three days. JUNE

LONDON TO BRIGHTON BIKE RIDE The iconic ride from Clapham Common through the beautiful Sussex countryside to Brighton beach is a 54-mile challenge. If you’re not up for that, you can just enjoy the party atmosphere at the finish line and in the city afterwards.

KEMPTOWN CARNIVAL Like a mini-Notting Hill, 30k people turn out for this vibrant free community street arts festival.

One of the UK’s biggest free extreme sports festivals, Beach Life, takes place on the seafront over an adventure-filled weekend, and features breath-taking activities on land and sea.

Other sporting opportunities include horse riding, mountain biking, paragliding and, of course, water sports, with sailing, canoeing, body boarding, kayaking, windsurfing and kite surfing all on offer.

Our students and staff also participate in – and volunteer at – the Beachy Head Marathon, one of the UK’s largest off-road marathons along the Seven Sisters. Every June, some of the world’s best tennis players come to Eastbourne for The Nature Valley International: a top-class tournament and a vital part of preparations for Wimbledon. There’s plenty of arts and culture with the renowned contemporary Towner Art Gallery, four theatres and a brand new eight-screen cinema. The Sunday Times described Eastbourne’s Little Chelsea as ‘the next wave of coastal cool…packed with independent boutiques, craft shops and eateries’.

Eastbourne,”The Sunshine Coast” as they call it, has been my home for the past three months and I have been beyond grateful for this experience. I can vividly remember arriving one sunny Sunday afternoon in February. The downtown area was filled with people, young and old, on their afternoon strolls, exploring the local shops, and even enjoying a pint with some mates. It was an environment which I have never been exposed to before and I knew from the second I stepped off the train, I was home. As an avid runner, running up and down the coast, exploring the Beachy Head Cliffs, and jogging through the city centre has made me feel like a part of the community.

Zach Maslanka,

study abroad student from Illinois, USA

NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT DEVONSHIRE PARK, EASTBOURNE You can apply for free tickets for this world-class event at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne. JULY

PADDLE ROUND THE PIER The ultimate expression of Brighton beach life, this free festival celebrates the best in water, street and urban sports. And it involves teams racing around the pier on their homemade, themed rafts.

MARCH OF THE MERMAIDS AUGUST

Any excuse to dress up in Brighton, and this parade celebrating sea life and promoting marine conservation is a great cause.

EASTBOURNE BEACH LIFE FESTIVAL One of the UK’s biggest free extreme sports festivals takes place on the seafront over an adventure-filled weekend.

PRIDE Brighton & Hove Pride is the UK’s biggest Pride festival. The glittering Pride Community Parade culminates in a big party, demonstrating the mix of celebration and campaigning at the heart of the event.

AIRBOURNE: EASTBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW Look up and enjoy an amazing free show in Eastbourne in August when Airborne attracts hundreds of thousands of fans to gasp at the Red Arrows displays – for four days the seafront is packed.